|
 | For example, Benjamin Franklin famously noted that he did not approve of everything written in the Constitution at the time of singing it. However, he also stated that he likely never would. Because it was near perfection in his mind, though, he supported the document and encouraged his peers to adopt the policies it contained. | |
|
| George Mason, on the other hand, requested that a separate Bill of Rights should be added later. Many others agreed with him, and the Constitution was then submitted to the states for approval, a process that took nearly two years. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| On June 8, 1789, three months after the Constitution went into effect, James Madison proposed a Bill of Rights to Congress. Although he reiterated the need for some changes to be made, he also expressed his fear that the entire Constitution could be altered some day. Few leaders wanted to see the ideals and structure of the Constitution changed in any way. | |
|
| Madison stated that the Constitution itself was sound, but many thought it did not specify individual rights and protections well enough. He then proposed a list of changes, which the House of Representatives redrafted into seventeen Amendments in August of 1789. | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The House sent this proposal to the Senate, suggesting the Amendments be added separately to the Constitution and not placed into the body of the original document. The Senate edited this draft, changing it to twelve Amendments. A joint resolution was reached in September, and the Bill of Rights was sent to states. Three states approved it by the end of 1789, with another six approving in 1790. | |
|
| The Bill of Rights officially went into effect after Virginias approval in 1791. Two of the articles were rejected by a number of states, however, leaving the Bill of Rights at an even ten Amendments. | |
|
|
|
|
|
